Process for producing gas



1.. P. BURROWS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GAS Dec. '18, 1928.

Original Filed 1922 I5 Sheets-Sheet l ZMentoz:

Dec. 18, 1928.

L. P. BURROWS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GAS Original Filed 13. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L uvus 506% WS Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

LINUS BURROWS, DECEASED, LATE OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, BY LENAH B. ARCHER,

PATENT Fries.

EXECUTRIX, NOW BY CHANGE OF NAME LENAH BURROWS, F NAVARRE, OHIO.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GAS.

. Application filed November 13, 1922, Serial No. 600,727. Renewed January 13, 1928.

This application isa continuation in part of an application filed on January 9, 1915, Serial No. 1,476.

The invention is coal to theaction of a gas or gases obtained from Water while excluding the air, whereby there is produced a gas of greater purity, high a shell 14: lined with firebrick 15. The heating calorific. value and in much greater volume per ton of coal than was ever produced by suitable valveoutlet 4:5 at-the bottom of the any of the oxidizing processes heretofore known.

There is illustrated a suitable form of ap paratus in the accompanyingdrawings, 111 Which 'v Fig. 1 is a view in elevation with parts in section of. the gas apparatus.

Fig, 2 is a sectional elevation through the expanding chamber.

Fig. 3 a perspective view of the circulating pipes for the steam and gaseous reagent.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The apparatus comprises an expanding chamber A, a digester B and a series'of condensing chambers C. The digester B includes a gasification chamber E in the form of a rotatable drum having hollow side trunnions 10 and 11 secured to the ends 12 and 13 of the drum. I

Suitable means are provided'for heating the carbonaceous material in the drum, as by a chamber F constructed with a sheet metal may be accomplished by a gas burner 16 supplied with a gas supply pipe 17.

The air for combustion of the gas may pass in through the-opening 18 and the products of combustion flow out through the opening 19. v

Therotation of the gas retort is accomplished by the gear 20 mounted on the trunnion 11 and driven from the pinion 21 on the countershaft 22, supported by bearings 23 and 24 and driven from a pulley 25, The trunnions 10'and 11 are supported by bear- 26 and 27. Y 5 Y The chamber A shown in detail in Figure 2, is in the form of a cylindrical container of considerable size, in which the-steam is adapted to suddenly expand from substantially the centre of the container, being introduced to the centre by a pipe 40 which extends through the side; of the. -chamber." 0n the directed to submitting top of the chamber is a d omc 4-1 from which the expanded and dried steam passes into a delivery pipe 42.

A weighted pop-valve 4:3.leads from the pipe 42 into the atmosphere and serves to maintain a substantially uniform pressure in the said pipe. The pipe l2 also contains a control valve 44.

The water of condensation is removed'by a chamber controlled by a ball float 46, which causes the water to 130W oii as soon as it rises to any considerable height 'inthe'botto-m of the chamber. A manhole 17 may be provided for the removal of any sludge, normally closed by a door 48 The steam which forms the basis of the heating coil H in the walls of the furnace F v so that the radiating heat of the furnace will vaporize-any water in the pipe.

From the coil H a pipe 52 leads to the chamber A in which the water of condensation is removed, and the steam passes by the pipe 42 and a pipe 53 to suitable iron coils I embedded in the walls of the furnace. Here the steam is partially decomposed into hydro "gen by cont-act with the said iron pipes, the

oxygen of the steam combining with the red hot iron to form iron oxide,the pipes being heated to a red heat, the remainder of the steam being superheated with the hydrogen.

This superheated mixture of hydrogen and,

steam passes by the pipe'54 to the valved injecting nozle 55 which projects through the hollow trunnion 10 having a gas-tight joint therewith, and discharges this mixture into thechamber E. It will be noted at this point that the carbonaceous material inside the gas retort is heated externally by means of the burners 16, and internally by means of the superheated gaseous mixture of hydrogen and steam. A pressure gauge 56 indicates the pressure and the flow is controlled by a valve 57.

A portion of the gaseous product may be utilized and burnt with the ordinary gaseous fuel in the burner 16. For this purpose, a valved branch 58 is provided leading from the pipe 5% to the pipe 17. I

' The gaseous products of the reaction in the chamber E pass through the hollow conduit 60 leading to the side of the condensing chamber C. Other condensing chambers may be connected to C in series, and various products will be precipitated in each of them. After passing the gaseous product through the revolving retort, for a period to insure displacement of all air, bituminous coal is placed in the heated revolving retort and dis integrated and distilled while at the same time maintaining an atmosphere of the gaseous product by forcing a steady flow of this product into the retort and over the coal, thus carrying away the gas evolved from the coal as soon as formed, rather than allow it to combine into heavier hydrocarbons. In the various condensing tanks, solid and liquid products are collected, and the gas finally leaving the last condensing tank may be used to give light or heat. In the evolved liquids will be found hydrocarbons of commercial value, tar, lubricating oil, illuminating oil corresponding to kerosene and a distillate corresponding to gasolene or petrol.

The evolved gas which finally remains is of high purity and is in much greater volume per ton of coal than can be produced by any of the oxidizing processes.

hat is claimed is:

A process for producing combustible gas, which comprises surrounding a retort ina furnace with a high temperature heat zone, generating steam and conducting said steam through iron pipes embedded in the furnace walls, the temperature of said zone and said walls being sufliciently high whereby a portion of said steam is decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen, the former passing on through the pipes, the latter combining wlth the iron to form iron oxide, and the remain mg portlon'of said steam 1s superheated, conducting the hydrogen and superheated steam resulting from passage through the pipes into the retort, positively agitating coal in said retort while maintaining the heat and flow of superheated steam and hydrogen, thereby producing combustible gases, and removing saidgases from said retort.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

LENAH B. ARCHER,

Emecuzo'z'w of Last Will of Porter Burrows. 

